Block-signaling apparatus for railroads



E. FOUHNIER AND T. TESTU. BLOCK SIGNALING APPARATUS FOR RAILROADS.

APPLICATION FlLED DEC.26,1916.

1 380,890, Patented June 7, 1921.

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' ERNEST FOURNIER AND THE'onULE TESTU, or men, FRANCE.

BLOCK-SIGNALING APPARATUS FOR RA ILROADS.

Application filed December 26, 1916. Serial .No 138,983

fication.

This invention has for its object to provide an improved block signal indicator which will assure the stoppage of trains in front of a signal at danger. This stoppage is effected by the operation of brakes due to the action of a movable ramp mounted on a longitudinalmember carried by the axle boxes of a train vehicle; this action of the ramp being efiected by means of a tappet.

which projects beyond the rail and is placed into such projecting position by the operation of the corresponding signal. At the same time,-the apparatus notifies automati cally thetrain driver of the state of the signal which he has just passed, and it also records the fact that this signal is at danger, and it further records the fact whether the driver has seen it in this position before passing it.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate an embodiment of this invention: Figure 1 is a general side elevation of the apparatus set up on the track and'of the truck of the tender of a locomotive comprising the moving parts. i Fig. 2 is an underside view of the said 7 truck.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view showing the apparatus in operation.

Fig. 4 is a plan showing a detail of the sliding member A, and it illustrates the working of the signal. I

A is the sliding member for operating the rod B of the disk C; it is provided with a chain or other means D for operating the same from a distance and it is engaged in the known manner by a chain E which is connected at its other end to a lever F fitted with a counterweight G fixed'on'an axle H adjacent to the track. Upon this axle H there is keyed a lever I provided with a roller J which actuates though the medium Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 7, 1921.

of a slotted crank K a tappet L mounted on'the same axle as itself.

Upon the two axle boxes Mand N (corresponding'to'the track rail 0) of the tender P or other vehicle of the train, there isfixed a longitudinal member Q, upon which there is pivoted at R a bell cranked lever S one arm of which forms a ramp T which is guided at U by a rod V and forms at its end a counter-ramp 'W. This lever S is pivotedrat-its upper end to a tension'rod X provided with a returning spring Y and carrying a finger Z in the path ofwhich there is arranged the lever 1 of a cock 2 placed on the train brake pipe 30f usual construc- 'tion. The operation of this cock is adapted to cause the application of the brakesand in.

Figs. 1, 2 and-3, I show by way of example the cock applied to asystem operated upon the vacuum principle, the operation of" the cock being such as to place the train pipe into communication with the atmosphere via a steam injector. V

. The brake apparatus comprises as usual sets of brake shoes 4: actuated by means of rodding 5 provided with a piston 6 working in a cylinder 7. A. control (not shown) is provided to enable the driver'to shut the cock 2 without ine. I r V I When the track is free, that is to say, when the disk C is parallel to the track, as shown in Fig. 1, the chain E maintains the lever F with its counterweight in a position in which the lever I is depressed, so that the getting down from his en- 'tappet L lies flat alongside the rail, and

the ramp T of each engine can pass freely over the said tappet.

When the disk C is operated to close the line, that is to say, when it is set at danger by means of the transmission D, the chain E will release the lever F which by the action of the counterweight G, assumes the position shown in Fig. 3, wherein it causes 7 the rail. I

When a train enters a section of the track which is .thus closed, the ramp T is raised by the tappet L and assumes the position shown in Fig. 3, operating the rod X by means of the lever S, and thereby opening tappet L to rise and project above the the cock 2. The train brake pipe thus arm of the said bell-crank lever being in In testimonywhereof We have signed our the form of a ramp having an extension in names to this specification in the presence of 10 the form of a counter ramp, a rod being two rib g W n sesfixed to the said ramp and slidably engag- ERNEST FOURNIER 5 ing with the member supported by the axle THEODULE TESTU.

boxes of the car, such ramp being adapted Wit V to be actuated by a movable tappet located JOSEPH VAN DORN,

by the side of the track. S. HENDERSON. 

